


Roll Me Away

by PaxieAmor



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Bob Seger, Classic Rock, Could be Tony/Steve if you tried really really hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 10:29:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaxieAmor/pseuds/PaxieAmor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like many of the addictions he’d gained since joining the Avengers, this one was Clint’s fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roll Me Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [surlelac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/surlelac/gifts), [flatbear (duffnstuff)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/duffnstuff/gifts).



> Inspired by a conversation with Ellie, [this post](http://askashieldagent.tumblr.com/post/21503260206/thank-you-for-the-300-followers-you-guys-are-out) from Ask a SHIELD Agent, and Bob Seger. All song lyrics in this fic are by him.

Like many of the addictions he’d gained since joining the Avengers, this one was Clint’s fault.

Clint, believe it or not, was the one who took charge of catching Steve up on pop culture. The first night was ‘a lesson on keg parties with corporate sponsorship from _Megashark vs Crocosaurus_ ’. After that, all ‘lessons’ had to be approved by Natasha and occasionally further approved by Coulson. Clint complained there was no taste for ‘true art’ anymore; Steve was just happy that he didn’t have to watch any more of those awful movies (what is a Syffy, anyway?).

After that, Clint’s movie choices were a bit less… intimidating. And soon enough, the rest of the Avengers were joining them, so it was almost like a team bonding experience. Each week, a different team member picked a movie they thought Steve needed to see; Tony bitched his way through various Disney films, Natasha pointed out the historical inaccuracies in _Gladiator_ and the newest version of _Robin Hood_ , Coulson got a little bit misty eyed over an episode of Doctor Who that had a clever redhead lose her memories, and Clint and Bruce quoted dialogue from _Star Wars_ back and forth to each other until pillows were thrown and, eventually, broken. They’re still finding feathers _everywhere_.

When it actually came time for Clint to pick a movie again, he insisted on _Risky Business_ , much to Tony’s delight and Natasha’s annoyance.

Steve will be the first to admit he doesn’t remember much of the movie. He had his Stark Tablet with him and was using it to play the Stark Industries version of Angry Birds; instead of shooting birds at pigs, you shot little round balls that looked like the Avengers at various bad guys (if you left clicked while Hawkeye was in the air, he would shoot out an array of arrows before he hit and Clint thought that was _awesome_ ). He had just launched a Coulson at Doctor Doom when he heard the piano. Eight notes caught his ear and made him listen. Eight more drew his attention away from his tablet and to the TV. He wasn’t paying attention to the man wearing nothing but a white button up, socks and sunglasses; he was listening to the song.

_Just take those old records off the shelf_

_I’ll sit and listen to them by myself_

_Today’s music ain’t got the same soul_

_I like that old time rock and roll_

“Who is this?” Steve asked.

“The actor?” Clint asked. “Tom Cru-” Steve shook his head quickly.

“No, who’s singing?”

“Bob Seger,” Coulson replied. If anyone said anything else, Steve didn’t hear them; he was too busy Googling information on Bob Seger.

The song from the movie was called _Old Time Rock and Roll_ , and it was the first song he’d heard in this century that brought up good memories for him. All the music he had heard up until then seemed to be loud and noisy and god, does that one blonde girl ever stop to think that maybe _she’s_ the problem and not all the men she’s singing about?

But Seger was different. Seger was soulful and somehow made him feel again. Reading the lyrics made him remember hanging out with Bucky when they were kids; rock and roll wasn’t the thing back then, it was all about swing and jazz… still, Steve could sympathize with the message. Today’s music didn’t have the same soul; he wanted old time rock and roll.

After the movie ended, Steve excused himself to his room and proceeded to use his seventy years worth of back pay to purchase the entirety of Bob Seger’s discography on iTunes (and if he also bought them on CD, well, Tony was always saying he needed to splurge once in a while). He spent the night just laying in bed, listening to the songs and remembering. Feeling.

_Turn the Page_ reminded him of touring with the Star Spangled Girls, how he ached and was so tired of everything.

_Like a Rock_ brought on memories of the Howling Commandos; fighting by their sides, pushing aside feelings just to get the job done so they could make it home.

_Mainstreet_ reminded him of Brooklyn and that was really all the explanation needed.

_Hollywood Nights_ made him think of Tony Stark, and that brought a small smile to his face.

_Against the Wind_ reminded him of himself; he was older now, but still running against the wind.

Just before he dozed off, Steve listened to _Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You_ and felt the tears come to his eyes. The song was in no way reminiscent of his relationship with Peggy, but that didn’t stop him of thinking of her, of her smile, her voice, her scent… of how he was living his life without her.

_I've done everything I tried to do_

_But it's gonna take a miracle to get me over you_

If he cried himself to sleep that night, it wasn’t like anyone was going to call him on it.

***

“You like Seger, right?” Tony asked him the next morning. This was their ritual now, meeting at the coffee pot long before anyone else had woken up and having their first cup together.

“Yeah,” Steve replied, a little surprised that he knew this already.

“Jarvis said you were listening to him last night,” Tony continued, taking a swing from his mug. “Or this morning, something like that. I’d say something about never sleeping, but pot to kettle, right?” Steve just nodded, as it was often easier to do so rather than attempt to understand Tony Stark. “Anyway, if you like him, I got some other stuff you might like. Not the normal stuff I listen to, it’s more classic rock than hard…”

“I’d like that,” Steve replied honestly, curious to see what exactly his friend had in mind.

They spent the day in the workshop, Tony at hunched over a bench and Steve on the futon, sketching. Tony started them off with a group he called CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steve would later learn), before moving on to the Eagles, Kansas, Elton John and more. Tony sang along with all of them, his scratchy tenor switching between harmony and melody without notice. Steve just smiled, sketching him as he worked or whatever the songs made him think of.

A man on a horse, riding along a fence towards a woman with hearts on her gown.

A man in a space suit, wearing a cowboy hat and a nametag reading Maurice.

A couple standing in the rain, just watching it pour as it falls down on them.

A well dressed lady in a golden crown holding a small stick of TNT in one hand and a bottle of perfume in the other, her eyes glowing brightly as though they were poised to attack.

Some songs he liked, some songs he didn’t, and some songs he absolutely adored. Most of the titles were written down somewhere on the pages of his sketch book, so he would remember to look them up later.

On one page was another note, circled and underlined: _Don’t forget to thank Clint_.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus points to anyone who can name the songs Steve's sketches were inspired by :D


End file.
